Games
Saturday
Wisconsin at Ohio State | Florida St. at BC | LSU at Alabama
Arizona St. at Oregon | Texas A&M at Oklahoma | Nebraska at Kansas
Missouri at Colorado | Troy at Georgia | Oregon St. at USC | Michigan at Michigan St. | Texas at Oklahoma St. | Rutgers at Connecticut | Vanderbilt at Florida | Tennessee Tech at Auburn | Cincinnati at S. Florida | Wake Forest at Virginia | San Jose St. at Boise St. | S. Carolina at Arkansas | La.-Lafayette at Tenn. | Clemson at Duke
Wisconsin at Ohio State
KICKOFF: Saturday, noon ET
SURFACE: Turf
TV: Big Ten Network
SERIES: Ohio State leads 50-17-5
2007 RANKINGS: Badgers: offense 40th (5th Big Ten), pass 73rd (8th), run 21st (3rd), defense 33rd (4th), pass 29th (3rd), run 51st (8th); Buckeyes: offense 38th (4th Big Ten), pass 66th (6th), run 24th (5th), defense 1st (1st), pass 1st (1st), run 4th (1st)
POLLS: Ohio State (1st AP, 1st coaches); Wisconsin (19th coaches)
PREDICTION: Ohio State 28-14
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Buckeyes have clearly separated themselves again from the rest of the Big Ten and even the country. Wisconsin has already lost two road games this year (Illinois and Penn State) in which it surrendered a total of 69 points. That’s not a good omen heading to the Horseshoe. The Badgers are one of the few teams that traditionally play Ohio State well, winning three straight in the Horseshoe. But with P.J. Hill at less than 100 percent, pulling the upset this time will likely be too daunting of a task.
FAST FACTS:
Badgers — Senior split end Paul Hubbard, back from a strained MCL, has two touchdown catches over the last two weeks … Junior OLB DeAndre Levy earned the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting eight tackles, one sack, one forced fumble and one pass defended against Indiana. Levy, who admittedly struggled in Wisconsin’s losses against Illinois and Penn State, owns 12 tackles and two sacks in the last two weeks … TB P.J. Hill is fourth in the Big Ten (15th in the nation) with his 118-yards per game average.
Buckeyes — QB Todd Boeckman leads the Big Ten and ranks third in the country in passing efficiency (164.34) … The defense has surrendered a total of five touchdowns this year. All five have come on the road … The defense leads the nation both in yards allowed (215 per game) and points allowed (8.9).
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Badgers
TB P.J. Hill — The sophomore standout suffered a serious bruise on his foot in last week’s whipping of Indiana. That could slow him down and, therefore, slow down the Badgers Nov. 3. Hill owns 2,635 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground during his 22-game career.
QB Tyler Donovan — Since losing senior wideout Luke Swan for the year due to a hamstring injury, Donovan’s passing numbers haven’t been as good. Donovan owns just one touchdown vs. four interceptions in Wisconsin’s three full games without Swan. He has run the ball a little better, though, which will be a necessary skill against Ohio State’s defense.
OLB Jonathan Casillas — The junior speedster has produced 19 more tackles than the next-most proficient Badger. In last week’s win over Indiana, he delivered 11 tackles — including two for losses — forced one fumble and earned one quarterback hurry. He and fellow outside ‘backer DeAndre Levy are playing their best ball of the year.
Buckeyes
LB James Laurinaitis — Was fairly invisible for most of the night against Penn State. That can’t happen against the Badgers, since Laurinaitis’ main task will be slowing tailback P.J. Hill.
QB Todd Boeckman — Very quietly continues to make all the right throws and few of the wrong ones. His eight interceptions are fairly high, but Ohio State’s stingy defense has done its best to limit the damage. Boeckman is becoming one of the best quarterbacks no one in the country has heard of.
RB Beanie Wells — Went back over the 100-yard mark last week and is now only a few yards shy of his first 1,000 yard season. Two of the league’s best backs will be on display in Wells and Wisconsin’s P.J. Hill.
INJURY WATCH:
Badgers
Wisconsin hopes TB P.J. Hill (bruised foot) will be ready for Ohio State. He didn’t practice Oct. 28, and the Badgers figure to be gentle with Hill in hopes he’ll be healed Nov. 3. True freshman Zach Brown will be his backup.
Guard Andy Kemp (broken hand) has missed the last two games, but he’s listed as an either/or starter this week alongside John Moffitt.
Senior WR Luke Swan is out for the year after undergoing surgery to repair a torn hamstring. Hubbard has shifted from flanker to split end to take Swan’s spot, while freshman Kyle Jefferson owns the flanker job.
Buckeyes
DL Todd Denlinger returned from a leg injury against Penn State and should be back in the rotation on the line moving forward. LB Ross Homan (toe) has been targeting an early November return, but might still be a week away.
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Florida State at Boston College
KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 ET
SURFACE: Turf
TV: ABC
SERIES: Florida State leads 3-2
2007 RANKINGS: Seminoles: offense 75th (4th ACC), pass 44th (4th), run 92nd (8th), defense 17th (4th), pass 48th (7th), run 13th (4th); Eagles: offense 24th (1st ACC), pass 9th (1st), run 85th (7th), defense 20th (5th), pass 100th (11th), run 2nd (1st)
POLLS: Boston College (2nd AP, 2nd coaches)
PREDICTION: Boston College 24-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Eagles survived last week on an incredible fourth-quarter rally engineered by QB Matt Ryan. They return home to face a Florida State team that expected to be in the ACC hunt this year, but instead is fighting for bowl eligibility. A Seminoles defense that has performed better than the team’s overall record will get a severe test from Ryan, who remains one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy. The Eagles are trying to go to 9-0 for the first time in school history.
Florida State gets its shot at Matt Ryan and Boston College. (Steve Cannon / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Eagles — QB Matt Ryan remains a Heisman Trophy frontrunner and was recently named to the 15-player list for the Davey O’Brien Award … MLB Jo-Lonn Dunbar leads the Eagles in tackles with 65 (one ahead of S Jamie Silva) and has an interception, a pass breakup and two QB hits … CB/PR DeJuan Tribble’s judgment has gotten better handling punts. On defense, he has 26 tackles, two for loss, four interceptions and eight pass breakups in a strong senior season.
Seminoles — Senior WR De’Cody Fagg is nearing a career high in receptions after catching nine passes in the win over Duke to raise his season total to 30 receptions (415 yards) … Sophomore CB Patrick Robinson will be going for the school record in consecutive games with an interception. Robinson has picks in four consecutive games. Terrell Buckley, currently a student assistant coach, has the record with five … The defense has just 18 sacks, which ranks ninth in the ACC. Eagles — Have thrown more passes (361) than any other team in the ACC.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Seminoles
WR Preston Parker — The sophomore has been hot of late with 24 catches for 346 yards in his last four games. For the season, he has 37 catches for 516 yards. He also is averaging nearly 11 yards on punt returns to rank fourth in the league.
LB Geno Hayes — Hayes leads the ACC in tackles for loss with an average of 1.75 per game. Among his 14 total are three sacks. He also has forced two fumbles. He is tied with LB Derek Nicholson for the team lead in overall tackles with 58.
TB Antone Smith — After a slow start to the season, Smith has come on the last two games with 146 yards rushing against Duke and 114 against Miami. Nearly half his season total of 582 rushing yards has come in the last two games.
Eagles
RB Andre Callender — He just keeps making the big plays for this team. Callender has 636 yards and eight touchdowns rushing and 304 yards and four scores receiving, leading the ACC with 9.2 points per game.
K Steve Aponavicius — Last year, this guy came out of the stands — almost literally — and kicked two field goals and two extra points against Virginia Tech. In the first football game of his life! Last week, his onside kick became a turnover and the Eagles drove for the winning score.
S Jamie Silva — He is now second in tackles with 64 and has five interceptions and a pair of pass breakups.
INJURY WATCH:
Seminoles
WR Richard Goodman, who left the game in the fourth quarter after catching a career-high 11 passes against Duke, won’t be available the rest of the season. His injury turned out to be a broken ankle and he is slated for surgery. He could return for a bowl game if FSU makes the postseason.
WR Greg Carr (wrist), who sat out the win over Duke, should return.
QB Xavier Lee’s troubles continue. After winning the starting job by rallying FSU in the second half against Alabama, then losing it for collapses in the second half in losses to Wake Forest and Miami, Lee has now been suspended for two games for “violation of academic policy.” He will be allowed to practice, but not play at Boston College or Virginia Tech. That leaves redshirt freshmen D’Vontrey Richardson and Christian Ponder as Drew Weatherford’s backups. Eagles
No new injuries reported
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LSU at Alabama
KICKOFF: Saturday, 5 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: CBS
SERIES: Alabama leads 43-22-5
2007 RANKINGS: Tigers: offense 27th (3rd SEC), pass 75th (7th), run 12th (2nd), defense 2nd (1st), pass 4th (2nd), run 5th (1st); Crimson Tide: offense 44th (5th SEC), pass 46th (4th), run 44th (5th), defense 46th (8th), pass 60th (9th), run 41st (5th)
POLLS: LSU (3rd AP, 3rd coaches)
PREDICTION: LSU 24-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: LSU and Alabama fans have been talking about this game since former Tigers coach Nick Saban became Alabama’s coach on Jan. 3. As much as LSU coach Les Miles and Saban insist this game is about the players, it’s hard to ignore the attention that will surround this game because Miles is still trying to prove himself in a job Saban used to hold. The team that handles all those potential distractions will increase its chances of winning but the Tide must be able to slow LSU’s running game and the Tigers will have to limit Alabama’s passing game. LSU will be without backup quarterback Ryan Perrilloux, who was cleared of charges this week stemming from a brawl last weekend. But coach Les Miles said Perrilloux still would not play against the Tide.
FAST FACTS:
Tigers — SS Craig Steltz has a team-high 59 tackles, four interceptions and a fumble recovery … QB Matt Flynn has been victimized by dropped passes, but he’s still completing 56 percent of his passes for an average of 181 yards per game, with eight touchdowns and five interceptions … OLB Ali Highsmith remains one of the most important and active players on one of the nation’s best defenses. With a team-high 11 tackles against Auburn, Highsmith is second on the team with 56 tackles to go with six tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, six pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Crimson Tide — With four regular-season games remaining in his senior season, WR DJ Hall is the school’s all-time leader in both career receptions (177) and receiving yards (2,682). He is tied with Ozzie Newsome for second on the career TD receptions chart with 16, two behind Dennis Homan. Through eight games this season, Hall leads Alabama with 50 catches for 764 yards and five touchdowns … CB Simeon Castille has two interceptions this season and 12 career interceptions … Tennessee slowed his role, but DE Wallace Gilberry is third on the team with 45 tackles and leads Alabama with 12 tackles for loss, four sacks and 10 hurries.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Tigers
QB Matt Flynn — He’s been hurt by an ankle injury, dropped passes and his own inconsistency at times this season but he showed what he’s capable of doing against Auburn, playing his best overall game of the season and winning the SEC Offensive Player of the Week award by completing 33 of 34 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning 22-yard touchdown pass with one second left.
RB Jacob Hester — His solid presence, dependability and productivity, especially in clutch situations, explains why Hester is the starting tailback and such an important player for the Tigers.
WR Early Doucet — Part of Flynn’s improved play against Auburn can be attributed to the return of Doucet, who missed most of five games and made an immediate and significant impact in his return against Auburn by catching seven passes for a season-high 93 yards. His return has the potential to transform a previously struggling passing game.
DT Glenn Dorsey — The other three spots on the line have been up and down a bit but Dorsey remains a solid force inside for the Tigers. When he’s not making plays, he’s at least holding his ground and forcing opponents to use more than one defender to stop him.
Nick Saban is hoping to send a message to his former employer. (Mark Humphrey / Associated Press)
Crimson Tide
QB John Parker Wilson — Wilson has been up and down this season but he was up at the right time two weeks ago against Tennessee, completing 32 of 46 passes for 363 yards with three touchdowns. When Wilson plays well, the Alabama offense is hard to stop. He enters the LSU game ranked fourth in the SEC with 234.5 yards per game, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 57.9 percent of his passes.
WR DJ Hall — Hall was also at his best against Tennessee, catching 13 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns and rising to first in the SEC with 95.5 receiving yards per game and second in the conference with 6.25 receptions per game.
ILBs Rolando McCain, Darren Mustin and Prince Hall — The Tide is looking for more consistency and productivity from the three players who share two inside linebacker spots. With LSU’s ability to run the ball and make the most of its depth and versatility in the backfield, the linebackers will have to be at their best.
RCB Kareem Jackson, Lionel Mitchell and Marquis Johnson — The cornerback spot opposite senior Simeon Castille has often been a weak link in Alabama’s chain and will be tested by LSU’s improving passing game now that WR Early Doucet is back from an injury.
INJURY WATCH:
Tigers
DT Glenn Dorsey suffered a sprained right knee when he was chop-blocked on Oct. 20 against Auburn. Miles said he was optimistic about Dorsey’s availability this week but wouldn’t know for certain until later in the week.
As for less serious injuries to cornerback Chevis Jackson (eyes), linebackers Ali Highsmith (ankle) and Darryl Beckwith (shoulder), defensive end Tyson Jackson (back), Flynn (ankle) and wide receiver Early Doucet (groin), Miles expects all of them to be ready for the Alabama game.
Crimson Tide
The status of offensive line starters Antoine Caldwell and Marlon Davis, immediate backup Glen Coffee and Marquis Johnson and special teams contributor Chris Rogers remain uncertain as the Crimson Tide prepares for LSU. All five were suspended for the Tennessee game on Oct. 20 and were allowed to practice last week during the open date while Alabama continues to investigate possible NCAA violations regarding textbook receipt for scholarship athletes. The school offered no updates on the investigation through the weekend.
OLB Ezekial Knight has returned from a sprained right ankle and is back practicing with the starters in preparation for the LSU game. TB-KR Jonathan Lowe also returned to practice after missing the past two games with a right ankle sprain. With Coffee on the scout team, Lowe moved up from the scout team and practiced as the third tailback.
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Arizona State at Oregon
KICKOFF: Saturday, 6:40 ET
SURFACE: Turf
TV: ESPN
SERIES: Arizona State leads 16-11
2007 RANKINGS: Sun Devils: offense 33rd (2nd Pac-10), pass 35th (3rd), run 38th (3rd), defense 19th (3rd), pass 58th (2nd), run 9th (3rd); Ducks: offense 4th (1st Pac-10), pass 45th (4th), run 4th (1st), defense 68th (7th), pass 91st (7th), run 48th (7th)
POLLS: Oregon (4th AP, 4th coaches); Arizona State (6th AP, 6th coaches)
PREDICTION: Oregon 33-28
KEYS TO THE GAME: The winner of this emerges as legitimate national championship contenders, although the Sun Devils still have to get by USC. Arizona State gets more help from its defense than Oregon does, but the Sun Devils will be without leading rusher Ryan Torain, who was lost for the year with a foot injury. Keegan Herring and Dimitri Nance filled in with a combined 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns against Cal. The Ducks will have to do a better job of slowing the offense, much like ASU will be tested by Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon. His Heisman candidacy is gaining speed and a big game against the Sun Devils could make him the front runner.
FAST FACTS:
Sun Devils — S Josh Barrett has 27 tackles, four for losses and has five passes defended this season … After leading the nation in passing efficiency as a freshman in 2005, QB Rudy Carpenter is completing 65 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns and 1,949 yards … The offensive line has given up 28 sacks on Carpenter.
Ducks — QB Dennis Dixon, now being talked about among the leaders for the Heisman Trophy, this week was named as one of the 15 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award. Dixon has run for at least one touchdown in every game this season … RB Jonathan Stewart last week became the 11th different player to gain 1,000 yards in a season for Oregon … After never hosting two top 10 teams (AP rankings) in it’s 41-year history, Autzen Stadium will do so for the second time in as many weeks.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Sun Devils
LB Robert James — Just count on the Sun Devil senior to be leading the tackle totals at the end of every game. He has been the game-high defender six times, and leads ASU in tackles with 69. He also has four interceptions, which is particularly impressive for a linebacker. He has eight tackles for loss and 2 1/2 sacks.
PK Thomas Webber — In case of a close game against Oregon, the Sun Devils might have the edge with the most reliable placekicker in the game right now. The freshman has made 15 straight field goals, which is the longest streak in the country. Weber’s range is improving as he connected on a 47-yarder last week.
S Troy Nolan — Five interceptions this year is the most by an ASU player since the 2000 campaign. Not only is he getting to the ball, but to ballcarriers, as he is fourth on the team in tackles with 33.
Ducks
S Matthew Harper — His second interception of the game wrapped up the win over USC and earned him Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Week honors.
ROV J.T. Ward — He has been in on 15 special-teams tackles this season, 13 of them solo.
TE Ed Dickson — More important with the injuries to wide receivers, he led the Ducks with five catches, for 69 yards, in the win last weekend.
Arizona St. QB Rudy Carpenter is hurting, but should play at Oregon. (Roy Dabner / Associated Press)
INJURY WATCH:
Sun Devils
Except for quarterback Rudy Carpenter, bothered by a sprained thumb on his throwing right hand, the Sun Devils are expected to head into their game with Oregon as healthy as they have been all season.
Ducks
No new injuries reported
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Texas A&M at Oklahoma
KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: ABC
SERIES: Oklahoma leads 15-10
2007 RANKINGS: Aggies: offense 47th (9th Big 12), pass 109th (12th), run 9th (2nd), defense 76th (9th), pass 89th (9th), run 54th (9th); Sooners: offense 19th (6th Big 12), pass 34th (8th), run 25th (4th), defense 11th (2nd), pass 71st (7th), 3rd (1st)
POLLS: Oklahoma (5th AP, 5th coaches)
PREDICTION: Oklahoma 31-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Sooners seem to have found their way back to the elite BCS group after suffering an early conference loss to Colorado. The Aggies have not beaten Oklahoma since 2002, losing the last three by a combined 14 points. The Wrecking Crew will face another top-ranked passer in freshman quarterback Sam Bradford. Oklahoma has won the last four meetings and seven of the last eight. The Sooners have dominated the Aggies in Norman under head coach Bob Stoops, winning all four meetings by a combined score of 195-46. For Texas A&M to win, it will have to move the ball against one of the best run defenses in the country. Opponents have averaged a measly 2.0 yards per carry and 68.9 rushing yards per game against the Sooners. In eight games, they have given up seven rushing touchdowns and nine passing touchdowns.
FAST FACTS:
Aggies — DT Red Bryant tied a career-high with eight tackles against the Jayhawks … QB Stephen McGee is 5-1 in Big 12 road games … The Aggies are 6-0 when holding the turnover advantage and 0-3 when they don’t.
Sooners — RB Allen Patrick has rushed for 111 yards on 35 carries over his last three games and has not scored a touchdown since the third quarter at Colorado on Sept. 29 … WR Malcolm Kelly ranks sixth in Oklahoma history with 126 career receptions. The junior needs 10 more catches to pass Curtis Fagan (1999-2002) for fifth place … Oklahoma is the nation’s second-highest scoring team at 44.5 points per game, trailing only Hawaii (51.9).
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Aggies
QB Stephen McGee is the Texas A&M offense but may find himself in a hospital if he keeps doing everything on his own. It will be his responsibility to get everyone else involved in the offense, including the receivers, and make better use of his backs in the flats instead of resorting to the run so quickly. He rushed 11 times for 10 yards last game.
TE Martellus Bennett is the key to opening the run for the Aggies. Bennett can use his size and strength for the run blocks and for getting open on the sideline or over the middle against the linebackers of Oklahoma.
RB Jorvorskie Lane has made it very simple for defenses the last couple of weeks but draws enough attention to open up the plays for others. No matter, Lane must be effective in close-yardage situation and have his counterpart, Mike Goodson, working in synch in order for the ‘thunder and lightning’ game to be a winning combination. Lane has only 74 rushing yards combined in three losses compared to averaging more than 87 yards in the six wins.
Sooners
QB Sam Bradford — Nicknamed “The Big Easy” by Sooners head coach Bob Stoops, Bradford is the only freshman among the 15 semifinalists for the 2007 Davey O’Brien Award. He ranks No. 2 nationally in pass efficiency (170.9) and has had at least one completion of 30 or more yards in all eight games.
SS D.J. Wolfe — The senior is tied for second in the Big 12 with four interceptions, one behind leader Terrence Wheatley of Colorado. He is sixth on the team in tackles with 44, including three tackles for loss.
DE Auston English — The Big 12 leader in both sacks (8 1/2) and tackles for loss (12) takes on a Texas A&M offensive line that has allowed only eight sacks in nine games.
INJURY WATCH:
Aggies
No new injuries reported
Sooners
DT Gerald McCoy — The redshirt freshman is expected to play vs. Texas A&M after spraining his left ankle at Iowa State on Oct. 20. He has 12 tackles in seven games this season, including three tackles for loss and one sack.
LB Ryan Reynolds — The sophomore did not play against the Cyclones because of a shoulder injury that was also causing neck pain, but he is expected to play Saturday. He ranks fourth on the team in tackles (48) and third in tackles for loss (7 1/2).
OT Donald Stephenson — The 6-5, 282-pound freshman had arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last week and will be out of action for three months.
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Nebraska at Kansas
KICKOFF: Saturday, 12:30 ET
SURFACE: Turf
TV: FSN
SERIES: Nebraska leads 88-22-3
2007 RANKINGS: Cornhuskers: offense 36th (7th Big 12), pass 21st (5th), run 69th (7th), defense 107th (12th), pass 63rd (4th), run 3rd (1st); Jayhawks: offense 11th (4th Big 12), pass 31st (6th), run 14th (3rd), defense 5th (1st), pass 18th (2nd), run 6th (2nd)
POLLS: Kansas (8th AP, 8th coaches)
PREDICTION: Kansas 41-14
Kansas coach Mark Mangino knows Nebraska could spoil his team’s season. (David Zalubowski / Associated Press)
KEYS TO THE GAME: Role reversal will be staged before a sellout in Memorial Stadium. Kansas is off to its first 8-0 start since 1909. Nebraska is in the throes of a four-game losing streak, its longest skid since 1961. The Jayhawks ended a 36-year drought in the series the last time the Huskers visited Lawrence, prevailing 40-15 in 2005. This appears to be just as big a mismatch with Kansas ranked among the national leaders on offense and defense, and Nebraska ranked dead last nationally against the rush. Kansas sits eighth in the BCS standings behind an offense ranked 11th nationally and a defense ranked fifth. QB Todd Reesing triggers the attack, though the Jayhawks figure to pound the ball against the Huskers with the one-two punch of Brandon McAnderson and Jake Sharp.
FAST FACTS:
Cornhuskers — QB Sam Keller will no longer chase the Nebraska season passing record set last year by Zac Taylor. A broken collarbone in the ninth game completed the collegiate career for the Arizona State transfer, who threw for 2,422 yards and 14 touchdowns, with 10 interceptions, in his only season as a Husker. He set an NU single-game record with 438 yards passing against Ball State … WR Maurice Purify is the 15th Husker to produce 1,000 career receiving yards. He snagged five receptions in the Oct. 27 loss at Texas for 38 yards, including his 10th career touchdown … The Huskers rank last nationally in rushing defense, allowing 242.6 yards on average.
Jayhawks — With the release of the preseason coaches basketball poll, Kansas is the only team currently ranked in the top 10 in both football and basketball … QB Todd Reesing is threatening to reach a milestone with 1,985 passing yards, part of an efficiency rating that ranks 19th nationally. Reesing is completing 59.3 percent of his attempts, with 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions … CB/WR Aqib Talib was credited with three passes defended in the Oct. 27 win at Texas A&M. He leads the Big 12 with nine such plays, including three interceptions.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Cornhuskers
QB Joe Ganz — Thrust into the starting spot following a season-ending injury suffered by Sam Keller, Ganz must shake off some rust. The 6-foot-1 junior has attempted only 17 career passes. He went 2-of-3 in his brief relief role in the Oct. 27 loss at Texas, tossing a four-yard touchdown strike with 1:55 remaining.
WR Nate Swift — The 6-foot-2 junior caught six passes for 112 yards, including a pair of touchdowns, against Texas. It marked the fourth 100-yard game for Swift, but the first since his freshman season.
Jayhawks
RB Brandon McAnderson — An unheralded hometown recruit, McAnderson has blossomed into one of the Big 12′s top power backs. He rushed for a career-best 183 yards in the Oct. 27 win at Texas A&M, his third 100-yard game of the season
LB Joe Mortensen — Continues to thrive in the middle of the Kansas defense, a spot he moved to this season, and leads the Jayhawks with 73 tackles, including 11 for loss.
INJURY WATCH:
Cornhuskers
The loss of starting QB Sam Keller to a broken collarbone he suffered in the loss at Texas leaves the Huskers to summon Joe Ganz and also look at true freshman Patrick Witt and junior Beau Davis for the No. 2 spot.
In addition to Keller, LB Lance Brandenburgh was also lost for the season at Texas after also suffering a shoulder injury.
Two other linebackers who did not play at Texas, Bo Ruud (knee) and Blake Lawrence (ankle) remain questionable for the game against Kansas.
Jayhawks
No new injuries reported
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Missouri at Colorado
KICKOFF: Saturday, 6:30 ET
SURFACE: Turf
TV: FSN
SERIES: Missouri leads 37-31-3
2007 RANKINGS: Tigers: offense 7th (2nd Big 12), pass 5th (2nd), run 39th (6th), defense 73rd (8th), pass 107th (11th), run 31st (5th); Buffaloes: offense 73rd (10th), pass 54th (9th), run 75th (8th), defense 40th (4th), pass 65th (5th), run 28th (4th)
POLLS: Missouri (9th AP, 9th coaches)
PREDICTION: Missouri 28-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Tigers have lost 16 of the last 20 in this series but won two of the last three. Nonetheless, they’ve usually had trouble in Boulder and could again if the Buffaloes build any momentum following their upset win at Texas Tech on Oct. 27. RB Hugh Charles has rushed for 100 yards in five of the last six games to fuel a balanced CU attack that also features freshman QB Cody Hawkins. The Colorado defense is solid, led by lockdown CB Terrence Wheatley and the Big 12′s leading tackler, LB Jordon Dizon. Missouri has as much firepower as any team in the Big 12, behind QB Chase Daniel, who ranks fifth nationally in passing with a 343-yard average.
FAST FACTS:
Tigers — TE Martin Rucker leads all tight ends with 6.7 receptions and 73.9 receiving yards per game. With 1,932 career yards, Rucker is close to becoming only the third Tiger in history to reach the 2,000-yard plateau … WR/KR Jeremy Maclin is the only player ranked among the top 100 nationally in all-purpose yardage to have 200 yards in each of the four categories — rushing (235), receiving (488), punt returns (211) and kickoff returns (561) … Missouri leads the country in third-down efficiency with a .569 conversion rate after going 6-of-11 against Iowa State.
Buffaloes — QB Cody Hawkins tied a Colorado record by throwing a touchdown pass in his ninth-consecutive game, which also represented the freshman’s ninth game as a Buffalo. With 2,090 yards, Hawkins became the 12th passer in Colorado history to reach that milestone in a season, and the first to do so as a freshman … CB Terrence Wheatley was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after tying a Colorado record with three interceptions in the Oct. 27 win at Texas Tech. Wheatley also accounted for 82 return yards, moving him into second on the CU career list behind Ben Kelly … LB Jordon Dizon no longer leads the nation in tackles, though he does lead the Big 12 with a 12.2 average.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Tigers
QB Chase Daniel — Ranks second in the Big 12 and fifth nationally with an average of 342.8 yards total offense. He wastes little time distributing the ball from the Tigers’ no-huddle spread, engineering the Tigers’ 48 scoring drives this season in an average of 2 minutes, 27 seconds.
TE Chase Coffman — After producing nine touchdowns off 58 receptions last season, Coffman isn’t on the same pace. Opponents better not back off the 6-foot-6 target, however, especially when he’s due for a big game.
Buffaloes
LB Jordon Dizon — Returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown against Texas Tech and ranks third among the nation’s tacklers with a 12.2 average, including 76 unassisted stops.
PK Kevin Eberhart — Although the senior has delivered in the clutch at times, he missed a 25-yard chipshot following a second-quarter interception at Texas Tech. Eberhart is 13-of-20 on field goals and has made all 25 of his PAT attempts.
INJURY WATCH:
Tigers
SS Justin Garrett missed the Oct. 27 game against Iowa State with a hyperextended elbow, but is expected to replace Pig Brown as Missouri’s starter against Colorado.
S Pig Brown underwent what coach Gary Pinkel said was successful surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon suffered on the Tigers’ last defensive series against Iowa State. Brown, who had 14 tackles, including 4 1/2 for loss, in the Oct. 20 win over Texas Tech, was vying for Defensive Player of the Year in the Big 12.
RB Tony Temple is fully recovered from an ankle injury that kept him out of two games before Missouri eased him back into the rotation against Iowa State with eight carries for 40 yards. Pinkel said Temple will get the bulk of the carries at Colorado as long as he remains healthy.
Buffaloes
LB Jordon Dizon suffered an abrasion to an eye and wore a patch after the Texas Tech game, though the injury is not considered serious.
OG Edwin Harrison continues to be bothered by a weak right knee and missed most of the second half against Texas Tech. He was replaced by Devin Head.
FB Jake Behrens continues to treat a sprained ankle. He did not carry the ball at Texas Tech.
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Troy at Georgia
KICKOFF: Saturday, 1 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: None
SERIES: First meeting
2007 RANKINGS: Trojans: offense 21st (1st Sun Belt), pass 25th (3rd), run 37th (4th), defense 61st (2nd), pass 7th (1st), run 101st (5th); Bulldogs: offense 76th (7th SEC), pass 82nd (8th), run 48th (6th), defense 25th (4th), pass 21st (6th), run 43rd (6th)
POLLS: Georgia (10th AP, 10th coaches)
PREDICTION: Georgia 27-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: Georgia tailback Knowshown Moreno has now rushed for 345 yards and four touchdowns over the Bulldogs’ last two games, making him a major focal point against Troy. The Trojans are carrying a six-game winning streak, but will certainly face a huge challenge against the Bulldogs. Troy has a knack for playing ranked opponents close and earned a victory over Oklahoma State earlier in the year. The Trojans might be catching the Bulldogs at a good time since they’re coming off an emotional victory over Florida. Georgia coach Mark Richt compared Troy star quarterback Omar Haugabook to Florida’s Tim Tebow this week. That might be a good thing for the Bulldogs, who sacked Tebow six times last weekend.
Who knows what Georgia will do following its first TD vs. Troy. (Stephen Morton / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Trojans — QB Omar Haugabook, last year’s Sun Belt player of the year, is having another outstanding season. He has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns and rushed for 420 yards and eight scores. Haugabook’s status for this week’s game with Georgia is, officially, questionable … LB Boris Lee leads the Trojans in tackles (51) despite going two games without one … Troy has the top offense in the conference, averaging 34.5 points a game.
Bulldogs — QB Matthew Stafford’s three touchdowns against Florida were a season high … Georgia has won 19 straight non-conference games … The defense has surrendered 108 points in the first half and just 60 in the second half of games this year.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Trojans
QB Omar Haugabook — The senior has thrown for more than 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns and has added eight rushing TDs and 420 yards on the ground.
DB/KR Leodis McKelvin — The senior has two interceptions and is the team’s third leading tackler with 40 stops. He has returned two punts for touchdowns this season.
LB Marcus Richardson — The senior has 42 tackles, including five for losses and two sacks. He also has an interception, fumble recovery and forced fumble.
Bulldogs
RB Knowshon Moreno — Don’t expect the spirited freshman to get the 33 carries he had against Florida.”I don’t know if Knowshon will get as many touches (as he did against Florida) but he will probably get close,” said coach Mark Richt. “I don’t know if it would be too wise for him to get 35 touches a game over the life of a career.”
DE Marcus Howard — The senior had two of Georgia’s six sacks of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, who finished with a career-low minus-15 yards rushing in the loss to the Bulldogs.
WR Sean Bailey — The senior, who missed last year with a knee injury, has been up and down. He’s only averaging two grabs in his last three games, but all three of his catches against Florida came at crucial times.
INJURY WATCH:
Trojans
Senior DB Sherrod Martin (hand) missed two games, but he is back in the lineup. — Junior linebacker Josh Maxwell (concussion) missed last week’s game. — Sophomore DE Brandon Lang (knee) missed last week’s game.
Bulldogs
DB Kelin Johnson (knee), WR A.J. Bryant (knee) and TE NaDerris Ward (groin) are questionable against Troy.
RB Thomas Brown (collarbone) is out at least three more weeks.
RB Kregg Lumpkin (knee) is expected to miss the rest of the season.
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Oregon State at Southern Cal
KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: FSN
SERIES: Southern Cal leads 36-15-2
2007 RANKINGS: Beavers: offense 67th (7th Pac-10), pass 61st (7th), run 59th (7th), defense 13th (2nd), pass 85th (6th), run 1st (1st); Trojans: offense 34th (3rd Pac-10), pass 50th (6th), run 27th (2nd), defense 4th (1st), pass 17th (1st), run 7th (2nd)
POLLS: Southern Cal (13th AP, 15th coaches)
PREDICTION: Southern Cal 27-14
KEYS TO THE GAME: QB John David Booty is inching closer toward returning and might be ready in time to face the Beavers. If not, Mark Sanchez will get another start. This could be a low-scoring game with rushing yards coming at a premium. The Trojans need a victory here to kick-start a tough closing stretch — games at Cal and Arizona State follow before the regular season wraps up vs. UCLA. Asked if he would use last season’s loss in Corvallis as motivation, USC coach Pete Carroll said, “It will come up when we talk about them.” Oregon State hasn’t won at the L.A. Coliseum since 1960.
FAST FACTS:
Trojans — CB Terrell Thomas has one interception this season, and the Trojans only have six on the season … LB Keith Rivers, with a team-leading 59 tackles, is one of 17 quarterfinalists for the Lott Trophy, which honors both on-field and off-field performance … DE Lawrence Jackson has gone four games without a sack, although he’s still second on the team with four on the season.
Beavers — QB Sean Canfield has thrown 13 interceptions this year, but none in the past two games … OG Roy Schuening made his 45th-straight start last week despite getting over walking pneumonia and continues to close in on the school record (48) for consecutive starts.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Beavers
QB Sean Canfield — Something we never thought we’d say when the season started: Canfield has gone 58 straight passes without throwing an interception.
K/P Alexis Serna — His punting woes may be a thing of the past, and no one ever questioned his kicking. He has six field goals in the last two games, both wins.
CB Tim Clark — He has played well with Keenan Lewis out with an injury. “I am really proud of Timmy,” said OSU coach Mike Riley, who hopes to get Lewis back this week.
Trojans
WR Patrick Turner — The junior had the most productive game of his career last week, with seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown. Is that a sign that will eventually follow in the footsteps of Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett?
LB Brian Cushing — Fast and physical, Cushing will be an asset against the Oregon State running game. Injuries have held him back almost all season, but he could have a big end to the season.
DE Kyle Moore — Watch for him dropping into coverage. The 6-foot-6 end takes up a lot of space in the flat, and he’s intercepted a team-high two passes.
INJURY WATCH:
Beavers
The focus on the depth chart is with RB Yvenson Bernard, who suffered a sprained left shoulder last week but may play at USC.
OG Jeremy Perry, who hasn’t played since the opener, is now a day-to-day situation.
Trojans
QB John David Booty, who has missed three games because of a fractured finger, was feeling good early in the week, apparently with a good chance of playing against Oregon State. A decision wasn’t expected until late in the week, however. Coach Pete Carroll now says it was a mistake to leave him in against Stanford, when Booty threw four interceptions in a stunning loss.
RB Stafon Johnson has been recovering from a sprained foot, playing sparingly in the past couple of weeks after sitting out two games. He should be close to 100 percent Nov. 3 against Oregon State.
LB Kaluka Maiava might have a broken wrist. Either way, the backup linebacker will play against Oregon State wearing a cast.
True freshman C Kris O’Dowd has missed four games because of a knee injury but returned to the practice field last week. He might have a chance to play this week against Oregon State.
RG Chilo Rachal, who had missed three games because of a knee injury, was back in the starting lineup against Oregon.
LT Sam Baker is still suffering with an injured hamstring that is torn but is still attached to the bone. He is doubtful for this week’s game.
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Michigan at Michigan State
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 ET
SURFACE: Grass
TV: ABC
SERIES: Michigan leads 66-28-5
2007 RANKINGS: Wolverines: offense 41st (6th Big Ten), pass 70th (7th), run 22nd (4th), defense 21st (3rd), pass 22nd (2nd), run 36th (5th); Spartans: offense 26th (1st), pass 65th (5th), run 18th (2nd), defense 36th (6th), pass 39th (5th), run 38th (6th)
POLLS: Michigan (15th AP, 14th coaches)
PREDICTION: Michigan 30-21
KEYS TO THE GAME: First-year Spartans coach Mark Dantonio stoked the flames of the rivalry by calling out Michigan shortly after being hired. He also installed a countdown clock in the facility, reminding players of how long until the Michigan game. Now all he needs is players good enough to end a five-game losing streak in the series. If Chad Henne and Mike Hart can’t play, that’s a step in the right direction for MSU.
Michigan continues to make its September woes a distant memory. (Duane Burleson / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Wolverines — RB Mike Hart is third in the country with his 154 yards-per-game average … LB Shawn Crable is second nationally in tackles for loss with 22 … QB Chad Henne needs 220 yards to break the school’s career passing record.
Spartans — The Spartans lead the Big Ten in total offense, averaging 436 yards per game … RB Javon Ringer is third in the Big Ten in rushing (14th nationally) with 120 yards per game … WR Devin Thomas leads the Big Ten in receiving yards.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Wolverines
WR Mario Manningham — More than half of his 820 receiving yards have come in the last three weeks, proving he’s emerged from an early-season funk. Against a Michigan State secondary vulnerable to the big plays, Manningham might be in line for another career day.
LT Jake Long — The Spartans’ Jonal Saint-Dic has earned the nickname “Sackmaster” this year after his nine sacks. It’s up to Long to make sure Michigan’s quarterback — whomever he is — has plenty of time.
LB Shawn Crable — Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick have run ragged over nearly every opponent on the schedule. Crable’s 22 tackles for loss will be tested.
Spartans
WR Devin Thomas — His acrobatic catch down the sideline last week against Iowa illustrated his big-play potential. Quietly leads the Big Ten in receiving yards and will be pitted against Mario Manningham as arguably the two best receivers in the Big Ten go on display.
RB Javon Ringer — It would seem obvious that Michigan State has to run the ball well to have a chance. That starts with Ringer, who was stoned by Ohio State the last time he went up against a pretty good run defense.
DE Jonal Saint-Dic — Regardless of who Michigan starts at quarterback, Saint-Dic needs to hit him. A lot. If it’s Chad Henne, he could be one more blow from getting knocked out of another game. If it’s freshman Ryan Mallett, a couple of good thumps could have him rattled the rest of the day. It’s the “Sackmaster’s” job to provide those pops.
INJURY WATCH:
Wolverines
QB Chad Henne (shoulder) and RB Mike Hart (foot) are both questionable. Coach Lloyd Carr said he wouldn’t know the status of either player until later in the week, when both have had a chance to practice.
Spartans
LB SirDarean Adams is back on the depth chart as a backup at linebacker. He missed the game against Iowa, although coach Mark Dantonio said it was unrelated to the felony charges filed against him last week.
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Texas at Oklahoma State
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
SURFACE: AstroPlay
TV: ABC
SERIES: Texas 19-2
2007 RANKINGS: Longhorns: offense 18th (5th Big 12), pass 32nd (7th), run 29th (5th), defense 24th (3rd), pass 26th (2nd), run 14th (3rd); Cowboys: offense 10th (3rd Big 12), pass 57th (10th), run 5th (1st), defense 92nd (10th), pass 96th (11th), run 33rd (6th)
POLLS: Texas (12th coaches, 14th AP)
PREDICTION: Texas 31-28
KEYS TO THE GAME: This game features a match-up between the Big 12′s top two rushers in OSU’s Dantrell Savage, who leads the conference with 124.3 yards per game. The Longhorns’ Jamaal Charles is second at 112.4 yards per game. OSU ranks fifth nationally and leads the Big 12 with 256.3 rushing yards per game while Texas ranks No. 14 nationally and third in the Big 12 against the run, allowing 94.1 yards per game. The other key matchup is Texas’ prolific passing game against an OSU defense ranked last in the Big 12 in pass defense, allowing 308 yards per game.
FAST FACTS:
Longhorns — Texas is 7-2, 3-2 in the Big 12 and has won three consecutive conference games after beating Nebraska 28-25 last week. … Coach Mack Brown is 9-0 against Oklahoma State. With last week’s Brown joined Darrell Royal as just the second coach in Texas history to reach 100 victories. He also became one of only nine active Division I-A coaches who have won 100 games at their current school. Of the 79 coaches that have ever won 100 games at the I-A level, Brown is the 13th fastest to reach the century mark (124 games) and the second-fastest among active coaches. … Of the five games in this series that have been played in Stillwater Texas has won the past four. … In 2005, the Longhorns fell behind 28-9 before scoring 38 unanswered points to win 47-28. … Texas has lost only seven road games in Brown’s 10-year tenure, with two of them coming in his first three games at Texas. The Longhorns have won 32 of their past 34 true road games.
Cowboys — Oklahoma State (5-3, 3-1 Big 12) enters November tied with Oklahoma for the Big 12 South lead with a 3-1 conference record. OSU is 5-3 overall. … Coach Mike Gundy, who is 40 years old, is 0-2 against Texas. … The Cowboys have won two consecutive games four of their past five games. … Oklahoma State is receiving votes in the Associated Press, ESPN and Harris Interactive polls. … A win over Texas would give OSU four Big 12 wins, matching the Cowboys’ conference victory total for the past two seasons combined, with three more games left to play in 2007. … The Cowboys are 3-1 for the third time since the conference formed 12 years ago. All three of those 3-1 Big 12 starts have led to bowl appearances for Oklahoma State. … Oklahoma State has won four consecutive home games for the first time since the end of the 2003 season and the beginning of the 2004 season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Longhorns
LT Tony Hills — Hillis and the Texas offensive line face an Oklahoma State pass rush that has generated only 11 sacks through eight games. The 6-6, 305-pound senior will be making his 23rd-consecutive start.
DT Frank Okam — Odom has eight tackles for loss, 4 1/2 sacks, 13 pressures, four passes batted down, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery this season. He had five tackles and a pressure in last season’s victory against the Cowboys.
RB Jamaal Charles — The junior claimed Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for a career-high 290 yards and three fourth-quarter scores against Nebraska.
K Ryan Bailey — The Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week connected on field goals of 38, 47 and 49 yards against the Cornhuskers. He is 14-of-18 on field goals and 35-of-35 on extra points this season, and his 77.8 percent accuracy leads the Big 12.
CB Brandon Foster — The senior is third in the Big 12 with 10 passes defended (two interceptions and eight breakups). He draws a tough assignment this week against OSU’s Adarius Bowman, a 6-4, 220-pound senior, who is averaging 100 receiving yards per game.
Cowboys
WR Adarius Bowman — Bowman needs only six receptions to pass Hermann Eben (114) and Neill Armstrong (115) for fourth place in Oklahoma State annals. He has caught 18 touchdown passes in 21 games with the Cowboys.
RB Dantrell Savage — Savage needs 254 yards to become the Cowboys’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Vernand Morency in 2004. In Big 12 play, he leads the conference in rushing (144) and all-purpose yards per game (167.2).
QB Zac Robinson — The sophomore has rushed for 415 yards this season, the ninth-highest single-season total ever by an Oklahoma State quarterback. Robinson and Tony Lindsay (1997) are the only Cowboy passers to reach the 100-yard mark twice in one season.
TE Brandon Pettigrew — The junior leads the Cowboys with an average of 19.1 yards per reception. With 19 catches for 362 yards, he has already surpassed last season’s total for yards (310) and is five catches shy of last year’s total of 24.
DE Nathan Peterson — The 6-2, 240-pound senior has three sacks this season and 17 1/2 in his Cowboys career, good for sixth place in school history. Fifth place is shared by Rodney Harding and John Washington with 20.
INJURY WATCH:
Longhorns
QB Colt McCoy — The sophomore rushed 11 times for 55 yards against Nebraska, his third-straight game and fourth of the season with at least 40 yards on the ground. With 227 rushing yards, McCoy has already eclipsed his 2006 season total of 170 yards.
WR James Kirkendoll (hip) and DT Thomas Marshall (back) did not play vs. Nebraska, and both are questionable for the Nov. 3 game in Stillwater.
LB Sergio Kindle — After collecting a team-high eight tackles against the Cornhuskers, the sophomore could knock senior Robert Killebrew out of the starting lineup. Kindle has three tackles for loss, three quarterback pressures and a pass defended this season, while Killebrew has no tackles for loss, no sacks, no interceptions, no forced fumbles and no passes defended.
Cowboys
LB Patrick Lavine — The 6-3, 225-pound sophomore is expected to play against Texas after missing part of the Kansas State win on Oct. 20 with a bruised leg. Lavine leads the Cowboys with 56 tackles this season.
LB Chris Collins — After missing the last four games with a turf-toe injury, the 6-2, 235-pound sophomore could see action against the Longhorns. He recorded 26 tackles in the Cowboys’ first four games, including 17 solo stops.
LB Jeremy Nethon — The prognosis is not as positive for the 6-2, 225-pound senior, who is not expected to play against Texas due to a severe ankle sprain. He ranks fourth on the team with 39 tackles.
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Rutgers at Connecticut
KICKOFF: Saturday, 7:15 p.m.
SURFACE: grass
TV: ESPNU
SERIES: Rutgers 18-8
2007 RANKINGS: Scarlet Knights: offense 13th (3rd Big East), pass 20th (2nd), run 33rd (3rd), defense 22nd (4th), pass 22nd (4th), run 58th (6th); Huskies: offense 82nd (6th Big East), pass 85th (6th), run 53rd (5th), defense 10th (2nd), pass 9th (2nd), run 26th (3rd)
POLLS: UConn (16th AP, 20th coaches)
PREDICTION: UConn 24-21
KEYS TO THE GAME: Rutgers is at its best running the ball with TB Ray Rice but UConn is tough against the run so the Scarlet Knights will need some plays from QB Mike Teel. With Teel limited by a thumb injury, that might be asking too much. Rutgers isn’t nearly as strong against the run as the UConn but the Huskies are still looking for more than they’ve been getting from QB Tyler Lorenzen. Turnovers could be another big key, particular since Rutgers is 99th in the nation in turnover margin (minus-.88 per game), while UConn is seventh nationally (plus-1.5 per game).
Rutgers has another difficult Big East battle this week. ( Rich Schultz / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Scarlet Knights — Rutgers (5-3, 2-2 Big East) is coming off a 31-3 home loss to then-No. 6 West Virginia. … For the first time in Rutgers history the Scarlet Knights will face a ranked opponent for the third consecutive week. Rutgers defeated then-No. 2 South Florida 30-27 at home on Oct. 18 before the loss to West Virginia. … Since 2005, Rutgers is 7-2 in its next game following a loss. The Scarlet Knights were 3-0 last season in games following a loss. … Rutgers will play its first game of the season on natural grass at UConn’s Rentschler Field. Since 2005, the Scarlet Knights are 5-1 playing on the real stuff. … Rutgers has 42 scoring drives on the season, with 21 coming in two minutes or less. The quick strike attack added two scoring drives under two minutes in the 30-27 win over No. 2 USF.
Huskies — UConn is 7-1 overall after a 22-15 home victory over then-No. 11 South Florida, giving the Huskies their best start to a season since 1998 when a 7-1 start led to an appearance in the Division I-AA playoffs. … UConn earned its first-ever ranking in the AP, coaches and Harris polls this week. That makes the Huskies the the second-fastest team to ever make the polls after moving up from Division I-AA. … At 3-0, UConn is the last remaining undefeated team in Big East play. Those three wins tie for the most the Huskies have earned in conference play since joining the Big East in 2004. … UConn is bowl eligible for the third time in the past five years. … One of the primary keys to UConn’s strong start is its plus-12 turnover margin. The Huskies have forced 22 turnovers while committing only 10 turnovers.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Scarlet Knights
QB Jabu Lovelace — Lovelace didn’t play much against West Virginia, rushing seven times for 37 yards and completing one pass for three yards. But though Greg Schiano would like to run Mike Teel out there as long as he’s physically able to go, Lovelace may start to see more time in the coming weeks if Teel’s thumb doesn’t heal in a hurry.
RB Ray Rice — The junior had his worst performance in three weeks against West Virginia Â… and still had the Mountaineers defense singing his praises. His 142-yard effort came after his 181 yards on 39 carries against South Florida, which in turn followed a 196-yard performance against Syracuse.
DE Jamaal Westerman — Westerman is quietly moving up the school’s all-time sack list in his junior season. He has six so far in 2007, and his 18 career sacks are tied for sixth in school history.
Huskies
LB Scott Lutrus — Lutrus was named Big East Defensive Player of the Week for the second week in a row. He had eight tackles against South Florida, and also returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown.
S-PR Larry Taylor — Taylor didn’t return a punt for a touchdown last week, but he did have a little fun with the fair-catch drama that occurred in the victory over Louisville. In his first fair catch of the night, he made it perfectly obvious to everyone what he was doing by exaggerating the hand signal. Unlike last week, he didn’t follow that by running all the way down the field for a score.
S Dahna Deleston — Deleston has been a strong run stopper for the Huskies, adding eight more tackles in the South Florida win
INJURY WATCH:
Scarlet Knights
Teel’s thumb is still sore, but he made it through the West Virginia game without making it any worse. He’ll start again this week.
Starting strong safety Ron Girault missed his fourth game in a row with an ankle injury, but hopes to finally see some action on Nov. 3.
Huskies
OL Alex LaMagdelaine left the Louisville game early with an injury, but started against South Florida and will be ready again this week.
FB Anthony Davis is banged up, and split time with Anthony Sherman against South Florida. Whoever starts will focus mostly on blocking — neither had a carry against the Bulls.
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Vanderbilt at Florida
KICKOFF: Saturday, 12:30 p.m.
SURFACE: grass
TV: Lincoln-Financial
SERIES: Florida 29-9-2
2007 RANKINGS: Commodores: offense 105th (11th SEC), pass 111th (11th), run 48th (6th), defense 14th (3rd), pass 15th (4th), run 27th (4th); Gators: offense 30th (4th SEC), pass 42nd (3rd), run 28th (3rd), defense 48th (9th), pass 92nd (12th), run 19th (2nd)
POLLS: Florida (17th coaches, 18th AP)
PREDICTION: Florida 34-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: Florida just gave up 42 points against Georgia last week but a Vanderbilt offense that has struggled throughout the season could be without its top two quarterbacks in this game. Vanderbilt has made considerable strides on defense this season but Florida might be the most dangerous offensive team the Commodores have faced this season. Vanderbilt’s ability to get its defense off the field. The Commodores rank fourth in the SEC in third-down defense but the Gators lead the SEC in converting third downs. Florida is struggling to force turnovers but it’s also doing a good job holding onto the ball. Vanderbilt is forcing turnovers but also giving them away.
FAST FACTS:
Commodores — Vanderbilt is 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC after defeating Miami (Ohio) 24-13 at home last Saturday. Now Vanderbilt will try to do something it hasn’t done since 1982– win a sixth regular-season game. The 2005 team won five games but couldn’t get over the next hump … The Commodores will be attempting to win their third road game in the past two years against a Top-25 opponent. Two weeks ago, the Commodores won 17-6 at then-No. 6 South Carolina. Little more than a year ago, Vanderbilt left Athens, Ga., with a 24-22 victory over No. 16-ranked Georgia. Prior to the win in Athens, Vanderbilt had never beaten a ranked opponent on its home field. Last year the Commodores won 24-22 at Georgia. … Since the 2005 opener, the Commodores are 6-7 on the road. … While the Commodores have played well on the road they’ve struggled in the SEC’s early television time slot, losing four consecutive games in that scenario.
Gators — Florida is 5-3, 3-3 in the SEC after last week’s 42-30 loss to Georgia. … Florida has won the past 16 meetings in the series and owns a 25-3-1 edge in the past 29 games. … Coach Urban Meyer is 17-5 all-time and 6-1 at Florida in the month of November and has won 12 of the past 13 games in November. Over the past four years, Meyer has gone 12-1 in November. … Forty-nine players who have seen game action this season are either freshmen or sophomores. Eighteen of those 49 are true freshmen this season and 33 are either true or redshirt freshmen. Florida returned only 10 scholarship seniors and 11 scholarship juniors in 2007. A total of 19 Gators have made their first career start this season. … Florida averages 39.5 points per game against ranked opponents this season. … The Gators rank first in the SEC and third nationally on third-down conversions at 52 percent (46-of-89).
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Commodores
OT Chris Williams — Williams and his running mates on the line helped Vanderbilt run for 290 yards against Miami (Ohio), the most in a game since the Commodores rolled up 344 against Furman in 2002. Vandy is averaging more than 165 yards per game on the ground.
LB Jonathan Goff — Goff had 11 tackles, including two for a loss, and a sack against Miami (Ohio). Goff remains third among active SEC players in tackles (262) and solo stops (186), trailing only Tennessee’s Jonathan Hefney and Kentucky’s Wesley Woodyard.
C Hamilton Holliday — The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior was named SEC Lineman of the Week after grading 93 percent in Vanderbilt’s 24-13 win over Miami (Ohio). Holliday, who had five knockdown blocks in that game, is one reason the Commodores have been able to establish an effective running game in the last two weeks.
WR Earl Bennett — After breaking the SEC’s all-time receptions record with eight against Miami (Ohio), giving him 215 for his career, Bennett turns his attention to a foe against whom he’s had success. Last year, when Florida barely held on for a 25-19 win in Nashville, Bennett sliced up the Gators secondary with 13 catches for 157 yards and a touchdown.
CB D.J. Moore — His name can be found in a lot of SEC top 10 lists. He’s tied for the league lead in interceptions with five, is second in solo tackles and is third in kickoff returns and passes defensed. Moore will probably get time on both sides of the ball again this week, as his speed makes him attractive for a handful of plays on offense.
Gators
WR Andre Caldwell — Caldwell has a team-high 10 receptions over the past two games, moving him into sixth place in Florida history ahead of Jack Johnson (143) and his brother, Reche Caldwell (141), with 144 career catches.
DE Derrick Harvey — Harvey ranks sixth among active players with 18.5 career sacks. For the season, the 6-4, 262-pound junior is third in the SEC and 18th nationally with 6.5 sacks.
QB Tim Tebow — The sophomore has been named one of 15 semifinalists for the Davey O’Brien Award, which honors the nation’s top college passer. He has thrown for 1,947 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and rushed for 563 yards and 12 scores.
RB Brandon James — The SEC’s leading punt returner (17.1-yard average) and No. 2 kick returner (29.3) replaced starting tailback Kestahn Moore during the loss to Georgia and gained 26 yards on five carries. “That position is wide open,” according to Meyer.
LB Brandon Spikes — The 6-3, 240-pound sophomore is second in the conference in tackles at 9.2 per game. He notched eight stops (four solos), including one tackle for loss, against the Bulldogs.
INJURY WATCH:
Commodores
QB Mackenzi Adams (chest) is questionable this week at Florida and backup QB Chris Nickson (shoulder) isn’t 100 percent, either. Third-stringer Richard Kovalcheck might get some playing time if Adams or Nickson are hampered during the week.
CB Myron Lewis (collarbone), who was injured trying to block a field goal against Miami (Ohio), is listed atop the depth chart at his position this week.
Gators
DT Javier Estopinan — The 6-1, 278-pound junior is out for the season after suffering his third ACL injury in three years in the loss against Georgia. He finished 2007 with 19 tackles, including three tackles for loss and one sack.
DT Brandon Antwine — Florida coaches confirmed this week that the 5-11, 268-pound sophomore will miss the rest of the season with a muscular condition in his lower back.
Florida’s banged-up defense will be without backup DT Terron Sanders (high-ankle sprain) and probably safety Major Wright (broken thumb) against Vanderbilt. DT Clint McMillan (shoulder), DE Derrick Harvey (hip) and CB Markihe Anderson (knee) are injured but are expected to play against the Commodores.
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Tennessee Tech at Auburn
KICKOFF: Saturday, 2:30 p.m.
SURFACE: grass
TV: Pay-per-view
SERIES: first meeting
2007 RANKINGS: Golden Eagles: offense 64th (7th OVC), pass 53rd (5th), run 56th (10th), defense 66th (5th), pass 100th (10th), run 45th (3rd); Tigers: offense 94th (9th SEC), pass 105th (9th), run 51st (8th), defense 8th (2nd), pass 18th (5th), run 23rd (3rd)
POLLS: Auburn (19th AP, 16th coaches)
PREDICTION: Auburn 41-3
KEYS TO THE GAME: Winning isn’t the point in this game for Auburn. The Tigers need to do more than win. They need to come out strong, build a lead early, send the starters to the sidelines and empty the bench. Having gone nine weeks without an open date, the Tigers need a day off. If quarterback Kodi Burns, tailback Mario Fannin and defensive players such as Antoine Carter, Mike Blanc and Ryan Williams see significant playing time, this will be a victory. If the starters are still in late in the third quarter, it will be step back.
Auburn shouldn’t get much of a scare from Tennessee Tech. (Dave Martin / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Golden Eagles — Tennessee Tech is 4-5 overall, 2-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference after last week’s 59-52 loss at Samford. … Tennessee Tech will be playing a Division I-A for the 11th season in a row and the 19th time overall since the two divisions were established. … Tech coach Watson Brown is 0-4 against Auburn four times as head coach. Tigers — Auburn is 6-3, 4-2 in the SEC after a 17-3 home victory over Ole Miss. … Auburn is now bowl eligible for the eighth straight season, the second-longest streak in school history. … Auburn is the only Div. I-A team to lead at the half in every game it has played this season. … During defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s two seasons at Auburn the Tigers have held 18 of their 22 opponents to 20 points or less. … Over the past four seasons, Auburn has the fifth-best record in Div. I-A at 39-8 (.830). … Six of Auburn’s nine games this season have decided in the last two minutes, including four of six SEC games. … In its past three games, Auburn has averaged 35:00 time of possession, and now ranks second in the SEC in time of possession (31:36). … Auburn owns a turnover ratio of plus-7 in its five victories and minus-7 in its three losses.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Golden Eagles
RB Derek White — White has topped the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career and now ranks second in the OVC.
WR-KR Larry Shipp — Shipp needs 56 yards to break the Tech career receiving record. He ranks first in the OVC in kickoff returns.
QB Lee Sweeney — Sweeney has climbed to fifth in career passing yards and eighth in total offense yards.
Tigers
QB Brandon Cox — Cox has been at his best late in games this season, leading the Tigers to late scores against Florida, Arkansas, LSU and Ole Miss. After struggling early in the season with six interceptions in the first three games, he has thrown only one interception in the past six games.
WR Rod Smith — The Tigers entered the season without a go-to receiver and Smith has stepped into that role with 41 receptions, 564 yards and five touchdowns, including a career-high 111 yards on eight catches and a decisive 34-yard touchdown reception last week against Ole Miss.
DE Quentin Groves — Groves has three sacks, seven tackles for loss, 26 tackles, 20 quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles this season despite missing two games and playing a limited role in the past two games because of three dislocated toes. His sack two weeks ago against LSU tied the all-time Auburn sack record (26) set by Gerald Robinson in 1985. This week he will see playing time at outside linebacker for the first time all season in an experiment designed to get him on the field with DEs Antonio Coleman and Antoine Carter.
DE Antonio Coleman — With Groves limited by an injury, Coleman has stepped up in a big way in recent games. Coleman, a sophomore who has stepped into Groves’ role, is the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after recording three tackles for loss and two sacks against Ole Miss. Coleman is now fifth in the SEC in sacks (six) and tackles for loss (13) and has nine tackles for loss in the past four games.
INJURY WATCH:
Golden Eagles
Tech has gone through four quarterbacks this season. Sweeney, the OVC Freshman of the Year, opened the season as the starter but suffered a knee injury early in the Murray State game (Sept. 20). Junior transfer Josh Lowery stepped in and started the next two games, but suffered a hand injury in the game against Austin Peay (Oct. 6). Then true freshman Cass Barnes took over started the next game (Oct. 11) against Tennessee. Barnes sustained a mouth injury just before halftime, forcing Tech to switch wide receiver Steven Brown to quarterback in the second half. Sweeney returned to the starting lineup last week against Samford, and is expected to start at Auburn.
Tigers
Despite a sore right shoulder from a hit he took last week against Ole Miss, Cox will start and play as long as the Tigers need him to. “No. 1, working with the first-team offense, scoring points, probably throwing the ball a little bit,” Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said. “You want to keep them game-active. That always worries you about open dates. We need one, but we don’t want him to have two open dates.”
Auburn will try to get away without playing kicker Wes Byrum, who was supposed to sit out last week because of a lingering thigh and groin injury but had to play when backup Zach Kutch missed a field goal and barely got an extra point past the line of scrimmage. The competition for Byrum’s temporary replacement is wide open this week.
The Tigers had hoped to have starting FS Aairon Savage (knee) available against Ole Miss but he was unable to play. Tuberville is now hoping Savage will see some playing time against Tennessee Tech.
With true freshman Ryan Pugh sidelined by an ankle/shin injury, King Dunlap started at left tackle for the second consecutive game. Dunlap started Auburn’s first three games before being replaced by Pugh and has been something of a disappointment for most of his senior season but offensive line coach Hugh Nall said that Dunlap will start for the third consecutive game while Pugh will help at both left tackle and center.
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Cincinnati at South Florida
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
SURFACE: grass
TV: ABC
SERIES: 2-2
2007 RANKINGS: Bearcats: offense 25th (4th Big East), pass 30th (3rd), run 42nd (4th), defense 51st (6th), pass 41st (6th), run 20th (2nd); Bulls: offense 53rd (5th Big East), pass 71st (4h), run 31st (2nd), defense 18th (3rd), pass 6th (1st), run 30th (4th)
POLLS: USF (20th AP, 21st coaches)
PREDICTION: USF 27-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: Both teams opened the season strong and rose in the national polls, only to lose two consecutive games. With both teams hanging on for dear life in the Big East race, this becomes a playoff game. The Bearcats spent their open date last week working on eliminating the turnovers and penalties that hurt their chances in their past two games. USF has to get better in the running game on both sides of the ball. After going 14 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, the Bulls have now allowed 100-yard backs in consecutive games. With injuries at running back, QB Matt Grothe has been forced to carry the running game.
FAST FACTS:
Bearcats — Cincinnati (6-2, 1-2 Big East) has lost two consecutive games to Louisville (28-24 and Pittsburgh (24-17) but had an open date last week. Dating back to 2000, Cincinnati is 6-4 record following an open date. … The game at USF is the first of four consecutive Big East games to close the regular season. … The Bearcats outscored their first eight opponents 301-128 and have outscored their opponents 75-22 in the first quarter this season. … Cincinnati is ranked ninth nationally with a turnover margin of plus-1.13 per game, giving up eight interceptions and nine fumbles while creating 26 turnovers (nine fumble recoveries, 17 interceptions).
Bulls — USF opened the season with a 6-0 record but has since lost two consecutive Big East games, losing 30-27 at Rutgers and 22-15 at UConn. The Bulls have lost two consecutive games the fourth and fifth games of the 2006 season. … USF has won seven straight home games dating back to a Sept. 2, 2006 loss to Rutgers last season. … A win would make USF bowl eligible for the third consecutive season. … USF has forced 14 first-half turnovers this season, including a high of five against West Virginia. Those 14 first-half turnovers account for 58 percent of the team’s 24 this season. … The secondary has nine interceptions, six fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Bearcats
QB Ben Mauk — Mauk has passed for 1,595 yards and 15 touchdowns. He’s also rushed for 91 yards and one TD.
RB Jacob Ramsey — Ramsey will get significant playing time against South Florida. The sophomore running back has rushed for 236 yards and three touchdowns in limited duty.
RB Butler Benton — Benton, who leads the team with 434 yards rushing, has fumbled three times in the past two games.
Junior CB DeAngelo Smith — Smith is tied for the team lead with four interceptions.
FS Haruki Nakamura — Nakamura ranks second on the team with 50 tackles and three interceptions.
Bulls
CB Trae Williams — Williams has a team-leading three interceptions, a year after leading the Big East with seven. Williams also is second on the team with nine passes broken up. For his career, he has 13 interceptions.
CB Mike Jenkins — Jenkins leads the Bulls with 10 passes broken up. The senior has only two interceptions this season, but has forced five fumbles in his career, second most among USF’s active players.
K Delbert Alvarado — The inconsistent kicker got a vote of confidence from USF coach Jim Leavitt. Despite Alvarado’s recent struggles in losses at Rutgers and UConn, the sophomore will remain USF’s placekicker.
QB Matt Grothe — He’ll be asked to carry USF’s offense one more time. As the season has progressed, his carries continue to increase. He said after games he feels “like an old man.” The question is: How long can he withstand the punishment?
WR Carlton Mitchell — With injuries to USF’s wide receiver corps, the freshman is expected to make the start against Cincinnati. He’s USF’s best deep threat, averaging 18.7 yards per reception.
INJURY WATCH:
Bearcats
The Bearcats did not report any injuries this week.
Bulls
RT Walter Walker (knee) remains out with an injury suffered two weeks ago at Rutgers. With Walker out, senior Jared Carnes is expected to start his second consecutive game. Carnes goes in at left tackle and senior Marc Dile, USF’s regular left tackle, moves over to Walker’s right tackle spot.
OG Matt Huners (knee) also remains out. Besides his knee injury, suffered in the spring, he’s also been slowed by back spasms.
RB Mike Ford (ribs) is questionable after getting injured on Oct. 27 at UConn.
WR Amarri Jackson (knee) is doubtful after suffering a knee injury in the first half at UConn.
WR Taurus Johnson (ankle) remains out after getting injured Oct. 18 at Rutgers.
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Wake Forest at Virginia
KICKOFF: Saturday, noon p.m.
SURFACE: Prescription Athletic Turf
TV: Lincoln Financial
SERIES: Virginia 33-12
2007 RANKINGS: Demon Deacons: offense 90th (5th ACC), pass 91st (8th), run 64th (4th), defense 43rd (9th), pass 28th (5th), run 34th (6th); Cavaliers: offense 101st (9th ACC), pass 88th (7th), run 82nd (6th), defense 31st (7th), pass 47th (8th), run 22nd (5th)
POLLS: Wake Forest (21st AP)
PREDICTION: Wake Forest 23-20
KEYS TO THE GAME: Virginia has to do a better job in the passing game on both sides of the ball. While Virginia’s receivers showed progress last week the secondary played poorly and QB Jameel Sewell struggled with inconsistency and turnovers, which could be dangerous against a Wake Forest team that knows how to turn turnovers into points. Wake Forest is making progress in the running game. Now the Demon Deacons need to use that improvement to set up the passing game.
As always, Riley Skinner holds the key to Wake Forest’s success. (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)
FAST FACTS:
Demon Deacons — With a 34-21 win over North Carolina last week, Wake Forest (6-2, 4-1 ACC) has won six consecutive games, it’s longest streak since 1992 and the seventh-longest current streak in Division I-A. … Wake is second in the Atlantic Division while Virginia leads the Coastal Division behind Boston College by one game. … The Deacons are bowl-eligible for a second consecutive season. Wake Forest has never been to a bowl game in consecutive seasons. … Wake Forest is 2-1 on the road this season and has won eight of its past nine road games dating back to the start of the 2006 season. … The Deacons have scored nine non-offensive touchdowns this season (five interception returns, two fumble returns, one kickoff return, one punt return). … Wake Forest’s defense has a takeaway in each of its past 23 games.
Cavaliers — Virginia (7-2, 4-1 ACC) leads the Coastal Division despite having its seven-game winning streak snapped last Saturday with a 29-24 loss at North Carolina State. … Virginia has won seven straight games at home and 13 of its past 16 at Scott Stadium since the start of the 2005 season. … Virginia has won five games by six points or fewer this season, the most in the nation. Virginia’s average margin of victory is 7.4 points, fifth closest among teams with at least three wins. This is only the fifth time in ACC history a team has won as many as five games by six points or fewer during the regular season. Virginia had just 100 yards of offense and minus-3 yards rushing in a 23-3 season-opening loss at Wyoming. During the team’s seven-game winning streak, the offense scored 20-plus points in five consecutive games for the first time since 2004. The Cavs were even productive in last week’s loss to NC State, gaining 369 yards, 42 yards above their average entering the game.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Demon Deacons
Senior C Steve Justice — Justice and his fellow offensive linemen have had their struggles. The Deacons had given up only seven sacks all season, but the Tar Heels registered four last week. Against Virginia, the Deacons will be facing the ACC sack leader in DE Chris Long.
PK Sam Swank — Swank ranks fourth in the nation in field-goal accuracy among kickers with 40 or more field goals. Swank, a junior, is 53 of 67 (79.1 percent).
CB Alphonso Smith — Smith has been burned at times fighting against taller receivers, but he hangs in there and has four interceptions for the season, three of which he has returned for touchdowns.
TB Josh Adams — After sitting out the opener, the redshirt freshman has given life to Wake’s running game. His 83-yard run against Florida State was the longest run by a Wake Forest back since 1968, when Freddie Summers went for 90 yards against Maryland. His average of 82 yards per game ranks fourth in the league.
WR Kenny Moore — Moore twice has tied the school record for receptions in a game with 15. He leads the ACC with 60 receptions, nine more than the next guy on the list, Clemson’s Aaron Kelly.
Cavaliers
RB Mikell Simpson — Virginia’s emerging star proved last week that his breakout performance against Maryland was not a fluke. He rushed for 91 yards on 21 carries, caught four passes for 35 yards and scored two touchdowns. Even when, or if, Cedric Peerman returns, he’ll give Virginia an extra dimension on offense.
CB Ras-I Dowling — The true freshman was beaten for the game-winning touchdown against NC State and a 30-yard pass prior to that, but his coverage on both plays was tight. He made his first career interception in the fourth quarter, which would’ve been one of the game’s key plays if the offense had capitalized.
QB Jameel Sewell — Sewell had to leave the NC State game with cramps after passing for a career-high 260 yards, including 165 in the breakneck second quarter. Sewell’s touchdown to Cary Koch was one of the best passes he’s thrown, a perfect throw over a defender’s outstretched hand to the leaping Koch. However, he also struggled with consistency, missed some opportunities to make plays and threw two interceptions in the first half.
WRs Maurice Covington, Koch, Chris Gorham, Staton Jobe and Dontrelle Inman — Virginia’s receivers made their biggest contribution of the season last week, with all five receivers catching a pass and combining for 11 receptions and 141 yards.
INJURY WATCH:
Demon Deacons
CB Marcus Williams, a redshirt freshman, will miss the rest of the season after breaking his shoulder in the win over North Carolina. Williams has played mostly on special teams since sophomore Brandon Ghee took over as the starter in the secondary.
RG Chris DeGeare (knee) was in uniform and available but didn’t play against the Tar Heels. He should be ready for the Virginia game.
Cavaliers
CB Mike Parker suffered an undisclosed injury in practice last week. The injury limited his playing time as well as his production.
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San Jose State at Boise State
KICKOFF: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET
SURFACE: Blue AstroPlay
TV: KTVB TV, Boise
SERIES: Boise State 7-0
2007 RANKINGS: Spartans: offense 104th (8th WAC), pass 35th (5th), run 115th (9th), defense 78th (5th), pass 49th (4th), run 83rd (6th; Broncos: offense 9th (3rd WAC), pass 26th (3rd), run 14th (2nd), defense 29th (1st), pass 19th (1st), run 37th (3rd)
POLLS: Boise State (21st AP, 22nd coaches)
PREDICTION: Boise State 42-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Spartans are ranked near the bottom of the WAC in scoring, total offense and rushing offense and they’ve missed their past nine field-goal attempts. About the only thing they’re doing right is avoiding fumbles. While San Jose State might just have enough defense to hang with Boise State the Spartans will struggle to keep up if Broncos jump out to a lead. The Broncos have scored 34 or more points in each of their past five games because of a strong running game and third-down success and the defense has made significant improvements in recent weeks, especially against the run.
FAST FACTS:
Spartans — San Jose State is 3-5, 2-2 in the WAC following an open date. The Spartans have lost their past two games including a 30-0 loss at Fresno State on Oct. 20. … The Spartans have won all three times following an open date since Dick Tomey took over as head coach in 2005. … San Jose State is second in the WAC and tied for sixth nationally with 15 interceptions, despite not intercepting a pass against Fresno State. … San Jose State is tied with Georgia for the fewest fumbles in the nation this season. When the Spartans were charged with their first fumble lost this season in the fourth quarter of the Hawaii game (Oct. 22). Dating back to the 2006 season, San Jose State ran 542 offensive plays between lost fumbles.
Broncos — Boise State (7-1, 4-0 WAC) has won six consecutive games, including a 34-21 road win at Fresno State that put the Broncos in second place in the WAC, one game behind Hawaii. … Boise State has won all 26 of its WAC home games and 48 of 51 conference games since joining the conference in 2001. … Boise State has won the WAC championship for the past five years. … Boise State moved back into both the AP and the coaches polls after the Fresno State win. The Broncos had been missing from the seven previous polls after suffering a loss to Washington on Sept. 8. Boise State also moved into both the BCS Standings and the Harris Poll at No. 22 for the first time this season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Spartans
CB Dwight Lowery — Has three of San Jose State’s 15 interceptions, a team total that ranks second in the WAC and tied for sixth nationally. He is one of 16 quarterfinalists for the 2007 Lott Trophy.
LB Matt Castelo — Will be honored as the male Amateur Athlete of the Year at the 13th annual San Jose Sports Hall of Fame induction on Nov. 14. The senior leads the Spartans in tackles with 85.
QB Adam Tafralis — In last season’s 23-20 loss to Boise State, he completed 17-of-23 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns. He needs 289 yards of total offense to break the San Jose State career record of 7,274 set by Jeff Garcia from 1991-93.
WR Kevin Jurovich — The junior ranks sixth in the WAC in both receptions (6.5) and receiving yards (87.0) per game. He has caught at least seven passes in five consecutive games, eclipsing 100 yards three times during that stretch.
DE Carl Ihenacho — The 6-3, 245-pound sophomore has collected four sacks in his last four games, including two against Hawaii on Oct. 12. He ranks second on the Spartans in tackles for loss with five.
Broncos
TB Ian Johnson — Johnson was on pace for 2,000 rushing/receiving yards before missing two games with a bruised kidney. He returns this week.
QB Taylor Tharp — Tharp dropped to third in the WAC in pass efficiency after failing to throw a touchdown pass against Fresno State. He had thrown 17 touchdown passes in the previous five games.
WR Jeremy Childs — He’s well on his way to breaking the school record for receptions in a season. He has 56 catches for 761 yards and eight touchdowns. He’s a major reason the Broncos have converted nearly half of their third downs.
TB Jeremy Avery — The freshman averages 6.5 yards per carry and showed during Ian Johnson’s absence that he can be a featured back. He has 507 rushing yards, 110 receiving yards and eight touchdowns.
DE Mike T. Williams — He leads the WAC in sacks per game with five sacks in seven games. He also has four pass breakups.
INJURY WATCH:
Spartans
K Jared Strubeck is listed as the No. 1 placekicker on the depth chart for the game at Boise State. He has hit just 2-of-9 field-goal attempts and was replaced by junior Will Johnson for the past two games, but Johnson missed all three of his attempts. Together, they have missed nine straight.
CB Dwight Lowery needs two more interceptions to tie the San Jose State record shared by Ken Thomas (1979-82), Sherman Cocroft (1982-83) and Gerald Jones (2002-03) with 12.
This week’s game against Boise State will be the 308th of coach Dick Tomey’s career, snapping a tie for 21st place all-time with Tom Osborne (1973-97) and Bo Schembechler (1963-89). He needs 309 to enter the Top 20.
Broncos
TB Ian Johnson (bruised kidney) returns this week after missing two straight games.
S Jeron Johnson (hamstring) started against Fresno State after missing three straight games.
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South Carolina at Arkansas
KICKOFF: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET
SURFACE: grass
TV: ESPN2
SERIES: Arkansas 9-6
2007 RANKINGS: Gamecocks: offense 85th (8th SEC), pass 52nd (5th), run 94th (11th), defense 26th (5th), pass 4th (3rd), run 74th (10th); Razorbacks: offense 14th (1st SEC), pass 110th (10th), run 3rd (1st), defense 32nd (6th), pass 1st (1st), run 60th (8th)
POLLS: South Carolina (23rd AP, 25th coaches)
PREDICTION: South Carolina 27-23
KEYS TO THE GAME: For Arkansas, everything starts with the running game on both sides of the ball. The offense is still getting the job done with the running game and hopes that it will help spark the passing game now that senior WR Marcus Monk is back. Defensively, the Razorbacks are quick to point out that they are first in the nation in pass-efficiency defense, but it’s a lot easier to be statistically proficient against the pass when opponents spend most of their time running the ball against an Arkansas defense allowing 151.88 rushing yards per game. South Carolina has to play to that weakness and do a good job running the ball to both keep Arkansas’ offensive off the field and take the pressure off their own struggling passing game. A defense that was having a difficult time stopping defending the run showed significant progress against Tennessee but it remains to be seen if the Gamecocks can slow Darren McFadden and Felix Jones.
FAST FACTS:
Gamecocks — South Carolina Gamecocks (6-3, 3-3 SEC) has lost its past two games, 17-6 at home to Vanderbilt and 27-24 in overtime at Tennessee. Despite those losses the Gamecocks have won of nine of their past. … South Carolina won 14-10 the last time these two teams met in Fayetteville in 2005. … Coach Steve Spurrier owns a 4-1 career record against Arkansas, including two wins in Fayetteville (in 1996 when he was at Florida and the 2005 game with South Carolina). A win over Arkansas would assure the Gamecocks of at least a .500 record in SEC play for just the sixth time in 16 years since South Carolina and Arkansas joined the SEC in 1992. … The Gamecocks have earned some of their best success on the road in the Spurrier Era. South Carolina has won eight of its past 11 games on the road since the middle of the 2005 season, winning at Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Clemson, Georgia and North Carolina in that stretch.
Razorbacks — Arkansas (5-3, 3-1 SEC) is 4-1 over its past five games and has won its past two games, with a 44-8 home SEC win over Ole Miss and a 58-10 home non-conference win over Florida International. … Arkansas holds a 2-1 series advantage in games played in Fayetteville although the Razorbacks did win 26-20 in Columbia last season. … The Arkansas defense has made significant progress in the past five games, allowing just 9.8 points per game, 270.2 yards per game of total offense and 121.2 passing yards in that span. The Razorbacks have allowed just three passing touchdowns and a 37.7 completion percentage in that same period. … After Intercepting six passes in the first six games Arkansas has intercepted nine passes over the past two games. … In addition to leading the way for one of the nation’s best running game over the past two seasons the offensive line has allowed just 18 sacks over the past 22 games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Gamecocks
RB Cory Boyd — Boyd finally got rolling last week against Tennessee, rushing for a career-high 160 yards, only his second 100-yard performance of the season.
QB Blake Mitchell — Mitchell earned his starting spot back by rallying the Gamecocks from a 21-0 deficit in the second half against Tennessee. Mitchell was 31 of 45 for 290 yards with a touchdown and an interception against the Volunteers.
WR Kenny McKinley — The junior would like to build off of last week’s school-record-tying 14-catch, 151-yard performance against Tennessee. He’ll have his work cut out for him against an Arkansas defense that ranks ninth in the nation against the pass.
DB Captain Munnerlyn — An opportunistic safety, Munnerlyn has a team-high three interceptions. He’s also a dangerous punt returner.
TE Jared Cook — The talented sophomore caught a season-high five balls for 55 yards against Tennessee. At 6-5, 235 and with sub-4.4 speed, Cook is a dangerous matchup and has a bright future ahead of him.
Razorbacks
TBs Darren McFadden and Felix Jones — McFadden isn’t the Heisman candidate he was earlier in the season and he didn’t play all that well last week, averaging 3.2 yards per carry, fumbling twice and playing a part in a fumbled handoff, but the combination of McFadden and Jones present the nation’s most dangerous backfield duo and must be South Carolina’s first priority.
WR Marcus Monk — Monk entered the season as Arkansas’ leading receiver but missed all but one play of the first seven games following two August knee surgeries. Monk saw his first significant playing time of the season and caught his first two passes of the season, including a 13-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
CBs Michael Grant, Jerell Norton and Matterral Richardson — Grant, Norton and Richardson rank first, second and seventh in the SEC in combined average per game of pass breakups and interceptions at 1.75, 1.62 and 1.75. South Carolina has been inconsistent in the passing game and if Arkansas’ corners can limit WR Kenny McKinley without extra help, the Razorbacks can devote more players to stopping the run.
INJURY WATCH:
Gamecocks
WR Mark Barnes (hamstring), LB Marcus Davis (ankle), RB Bobby Wallace (collarbone), LB Dustin Lindsey (knee) and OG Kevin Young (ankle) are questionable against Vanderbilt.
Razorbacks
With Monk back on the field, senior Robert Johnson back from an ankle injury and sophomore London Crawford returning from neck and knee injuries, the Razorbacks are about as healthy as they’re going to be at receiver at this point. True freshman Crosby Tuck, who got off to a strong start early in the season, is out for the season with an elbow injury. Sophomore tight end Ben Cleveland, another capable receiver, is out for the season with a neck injury.
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Louisiana-Lafayette at Tennessee
KICKOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET
SURFACE: grass
TV: none
SERIES: Tennessee 1-0
2007 RANKINGS: Ragin Cajuns: offense 62nd (5th SEC), pass 115th (7th), run 7th (1st), defense 115th (7th), pass 102nd (7th), run 117th (8th); Vols: offense 48th (6th SEC), pass 33rd (2nd), run 76th (10th), defense 85th (11th), pass 78th (10th), run 68th (9th)
POLLS: Tennessee (24th AP)
Vols fans are hoping this week’s game doesn’t come down to Daniel Lincoln’s leg. (Wade Payne / Associated Press)
PREDICTION: Tennessee 48-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: Injuries have forced the Vols to make some changes to their offensive line. This is an ideal week to break in a new combination up front against one of the nation’s worst defenses. Louisiana-Lafayette’s best chance is to move the ball and control the clock with the nation’s second-ranked rushing team.
FAST FACTS:
Ragin Cajuns — Louisiana-Lafayette is 1-7 coming off an open date. In its most recent game the Ragin Cajuns lost 39-32 in overtime at home to Florida Atlantic on Oct. 20. … The Tennessee game is the first of three consecutive road games. It is also the third of four consecutive homecoming games for the Cajuns. … The Tennessee game is the Cajuns’ third non-conference game in the month of November in the Rickey Bustle era and first in the past four seasons. ULL is 0-2 in November non-conference games.
Vols — With a 27-24 overtime home win over South Carolina last week, Tennessee (5-3) has won three of its past four games. The one loss in that span was a 41-17 loss at Alabama. … Tennessee’s offensive line has allowed just three sacks this season, and just two against starting quarterback Erik Ainge. … Tennessee is 4-0 at home this season. The South Carolina game was the first of four consecutive home games for Tennessee. … Under coach Phillip Fulmer Tennessee is 121-6 in games in which it held the lead after three quarters of play and 48-8 in the month of November. … The Vols are 65-16-1 in non-conference game since 1989, Fulmer’s first season as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator. Only seven of those defeats have come in the regular season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Ragin Cajuns
QB Michael Desormeaux — Desormeaux is second in the Sun Belt with 883 rushing yards and is the nation’s top running QB with 110.4 yards per game.
TB Tyrell Fenroy — Fenroy is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, but he’ll have to gain 460 in the final four games to reach the mark again.
WR Derrick Smith — The junior leads ULL with 35 receptions and three touchdowns and averages more than 16 yards a catch.
Vols
QB Erik Ainge — Ainge posted the win over South Carolina despite enduring his worst game of the season. He completed 26-of-44 passes to 10 different receivers, but averaged less than 8.5 yards per completion and looked frustrated when Tennessee went 3-and-out on five of its first six possessions after halftime. The coaching staff is emphasizing better mechanics and footwork for Ainge this week.
LT Eric Young — Young saw his season come to an end late in the fourth quarter against South Carolina as he tore his left quad while pass-blocking. Young underwent surgery the next day and will be replaced by sophomore Chris Scott, who moves from right guard.
SS Jonathan Hefney — Hefney recorded a season-high 11 stops against South Carolina and remains second among active SEC players in solo tackles and overall tackles. But Hefney may be replaced on punt returns by freshman Dennis Rogan as Fulmer looks to spark what’s been a moribund unit.
RG Jacques McClendon — The sophomore will make his first career start, replacing Chris Scott, who has moved to Eric Young’s left tackle position. The 330-pound McClendon is a road-grader against the run and gives maximum effort, as reflected by his game-saving fumble recovery at the end of Arian Foster’s 18-yard run in the last minute against South Carolina.
CB DeAngelo Willingham — Making his first UT start last week, the junior college transfer came up big with 10 tackles and two forced fumbles, the first of which led to the Vols’ first touchdown. Willingham has good size and long arms, which allows him to play physically and also lets him support the run.
KR Dennis Rogan — A hometown freshman, Rogan will get a chance to return punts this week as coach Phillip Fulmer tries to invigorate a stagnant unit. Rogan has looked good on the few kickoffs he’s returned and has the speed and moves to make tacklers miss.
INJURY WATCH:
Ragin Cajuns
Sophomore FB Matt Desormeaux (ankle) is out for the season.
Senior OL Jesse Newman (ankle) is doubtful for the Tennessee game.
Sophomore OT Kyle Pirtle (knee) is out for the rest of the season.
Vols
LT Eric Young (quad) is out for the season, forcing Tennessee to replace an NFL-ready player at one of the game’s most vital positions.
CB Marsalous Johnson (knee) underwent season-ending surgery this week, meaning the Vols are now on their second set of cornerbacks. The other opening night starter, Antonio Gaines, ruined his knee in week 2.
TB Montario Hardesty (ankle) and TB Lennon Creer (knee) might not play against Louisiana-Lafayette. That will mean more snaps for starter Arian Foster and top backup LaMarcus Coker.
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Clemson at Duke
KICKOFF: Saturday, noon ET
SURFACE: grass
TV: ESPN GamePlan
SERIES: Clemson 33-16-1
2007 RANKINGS: Tigers: offense 28th (2nd ACC), pass 29th (2nd), run 45th (2nd), defense 90th (2nd), pass 8th (1st), run 47th (8th); Blue Devils: offense 114th (12th SEC), pass 58th (6th), run 118th (12th), defense 101st (12th), pass 113th (12th), run 76th (11th)
Clemson could get a scare from Duke. (Richard Shiro / Associated Press)
POLLS: Clemson (24th coaches, 25th AP)
PREDICTION: Clemson 35-17
KEYS TO THE GAME: The Tigers put their running game back together last against Maryland and that’s bad news for a Duke defense ranked among the ACC’s worst in all four major stat categories. The game is also a tough match-up for a Duke offense that ranks among the nation’s worst against a defense that ranks among the ACC’s best.
FAST FACTS:
Tigers — Clemson (6-2, 3-2 ACC) has won two consecutive games, including last week’s 30-17 victory at Michigan. .. Clemson has won 13 of the past 16 games in the series dating to 1990. However, Clemson and Duke have split the last eight meetings at Duke, and three of the four wins have been by seven points or less. … One of the reasons for Clemson’s success this season has been balance on offense. Clemson is the only team in the ACC to rank in the top six in both rushing and passing. The Tigers also lead the ACC with 34.9 points per game. … Clemson has been especially effective on offense over the past two games, with 100 points and 1084 yards of total offense, 590 rushing and 494 passing.
Blue Devils — Duke (1-7, 0-5 ACC) has lost five consecutive games, including last week’s 25-6 loss at Florida State. … The Blue Devils are fifth in the ACC in red-zone defense this season, stopping opponents in nine out of 39 red-zone attempts. Last week Duke held FSU to six points in four first-half trips inside the red zone. … Over its next two games, Duke will face the top two defenses in the ACC in Clemson (292.8 yards per game) and Georgia Tech (287.9 yards per game. The Blue Devils faced the third-ranked defense, Virginia Tech, and the fourth-ranked defense, Florida State, in their past two games.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Tigers
QB Cullen Harper — Harper needs just one more touchdown pass to set a school single-season record in the category. Harper, a first-year starter as a junior, is presently tied with Woody Dantzler (2001) and Charlie Whitehurst (2003) with 21 touchdown passes. Harper has thrown at least two touchdown passes in seven of eight games, with a high of five against Central Michigan.
PK Mark Buchholz — Buchholz remains a busy Tiger. After kicking three field goals and all three extra points in the 30-17 victory over Maryland, Buchholz had two goals the next day in Clemson’s 3-2 loss in soccer to North Carolina. Buchholz is 12-for-20 on field goals and 32 of 32 on PATs this season in football. He has three goals and two assists for the soccer team.
LB Nick Watkins — Watkins, the Tigers’ leading tackler, has slipped a bit in tackle totals in league rankings but is still averaging eight stops per game. He also is among 10 players in the conference with at least two fumble recoveries.
TB James Davis — Davis got back into form against Maryland by rushing for 129 yards. He is tied for second in the league in rushing with an average of 85 yards per game along with Maryland’s Keon Lattimore.
TB C.J. Spiller — Spiller also is coming off a triple-digit rushing game (109) in the win over Maryland. He also is a receiving threat, ranking third on the team in number of receptions with 26, and he also is a weapon in the return game.
Blue Devils
QB Thaddeus Lewis — With four games left in the season, Lewis is within three touchdown passes of tying for second place in career TD passes at Duke. Lewis has 17 touchdown throws over the past two years. Dave Brown, Steve Sladen, and Ben Bennett finished with 20 in their careers. The leader is Anthony Dilweg with 24.
FS Chris Davis — Davis has an interesting streak going. Davis has caused a turnover in three consecutive games, having intercepted a pass against Wake Forest, caused a fumble at Virginia Tech, and forced another fumble against Florida State in Duke’s last three outings.
WR Jomar Wright — The senior ranks among the league leaders in receptions per game (just under five catches per game to rank fourth). The 141 yards he had receiving against Florida State in his last outing marked the third time he has been in triple digits in a game.
LB Vincent Rey — Rey continues to have a sparkling sophomore season and now ranks second in the league in total tackles with 83, only five fewer than Maryland’s Erin Henderson. Rey had only 12 tackles as a freshman.
KR Jabari Marshall — Don’t take a bathroom break when Duke is receiving a kickoff. Marshall, a junior, is second in the league in kickoff returns. He averages about 25 yards a return and has a 94-yard return for a touchdown.
INJURY WATCH:
Tigers
Clemson is scrambling to fill the void left by the season-ending broken ankle of Jacoby Ford. Ford was a big-play threat both at receiver and on special teams.
Terrance Ashe, a walk-on redshirt freshman who had five catches in the loss to Virginia Tech but none the last two games, was listed behind Ford on the depth chart for the most recent game against Maryland. If he is healthy, junior WR Rendrick Taylor, who has missed the last four games because of a hamstring injury, could be the answer. Taylor was looking at the possibility of applying for a medial redshirt until Ford’s injury.
LG Chris McDuffie (ankle) and DET Rashaad Jackson (knee) are considered questionable for the Duke game.
Source: Week 10 scouting reports
